Sleeper cars have a unique appeal, and unlike many other car segments, which can be quite specific, they can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From smaller sleeper sedans, such as the more potent 2 Series models on offer in 2024, to home-built heroes, there is no rule as to what form a sleeper can take. It does, however, need to fly under the radar and be able to deliver a seriously potent punch when the right moment arises.

While some sleepers are cheap, and others are classics, we've decided to search out the rarest sleeper that's available to buy brand-new in 2024. Like so many of these big-power sedans, this one hails from Germany, specifically Audi, and packs an impressively specced cabin and a monstrous V8 engine. Here's everything you need to know about what is undoubtedly the rarest sleeper sedan available for 2024.

For this deep-dive into the rarest sleeper sedan 2024 has to offer, HotCars has sourced performance specs from manufacturers, while production figures have been gathered from third-party sources, such as Car Figures, and GoodCarBadCar.

The 2024 Audi S8 Is The Rarest New Sleeper Sedan On The Market

Audi has long been among the top contenders in the luxury sedan market, bar of course the ultra-exclusive types, such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce. However, those marques are far too ostentatious to classify as sleeper cars. The S8, however, ticks all the right boxes.

Ever since the model first appeared in the mid-to-late 1990s, the S8 has delivered svelte, under-the-radar looks, a powerful engine, and a smart, up-market interior. The latter isn't a requirement for a sleeper car, but it certainly doesn't hurt the appeal of one.

While the earlier S8 models were cloaked in the finest leather and alcantara, with features such as sat nav and memory seats packed in as standard, they are a long way behind what's available on the market in 2024. The current model offers multiple touchscreens, a digital display for the driver, a 23-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound package and all the usual luxurious trimmings one would expect from a $125,000 Audi.

Last refreshed for 2022, the S8 has endured minimal changes since, but, due to slow sales, remains the rarest sleeper sedan available currently on the new car market.

Sales Of Audi's Flagship Luxury Sedan Have Been Declining In North America

(Specs courtesy of Car Figures)

Sales prior to the 2022 (introduced in late 2021) update were modest for the model, with 2,960 sold in 2019, dipping to 2,069 in 2021. From this point on, the totals for North America have been consistently sub 2,000, with last year's figures hitting an all-time low, of 1,487.

GoodCarBadCar does have differing, but still low, figures for recent years. They also remark that only 428 examples have been sold in the first quarter of 2024, so the luxury sedan is still seemingly an unusual choice for sleeper shoppers this year. Figures supplied cover sales for both the A8 and S8 combined, as no sources seemingly offer sales figures for the S8 alone. So, it's safe to assume that of the 1,487 sold in 2023, only a small portion were actually S8 sales, making this sleeper even rarer than the figures first suggest.

Audi's Sleeper Sedan Sports A Twin-Turbocharged V8 Engine

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs courtesy of Audi)

Smart interiors and fancy tech are all well and good, but the true appeal to a sleeper car, whether it's rare and luxurious or not, is what's hiding under the hood. The word hiding is important too, as the car shouldn't shout about its powertrain either, with fancy badging and graphics, it needs to fly by unnoticed. The Audi S8 does a great job here, with typically-German understated badging, hardly hinting at all at the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that lurks beneath.

Performance Audis have long boasted twin-turbo V8 engines, but few are quite as potent as this iteration within the S8. The V8 churns out 563 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, which propels this post-5,000 lbs luxo-barge to 60 mph in sub 4 seconds. Wind the clock back a few years, and that's supercar territory. At the top end, the S8 complies with the German 155 mph top speed gentleman's agreement, but we'd bet our bottom dollar it could get scarily close to 200 mph with that speed limiter removed.

Really, for a sedan like this to be considered a sleeper, it must pack a minimum of 300 horsepower, so the 563 horses on tap more than qualify the S8 as a true sleeper. The standard and 48-volt hybrid assisted Audi A8, with its 335 horsepower V6 engine, is more than qualified enough to be a sleeper in its own right. However, the S8 blows it out of the water, thanks to its additional 228 horsepower.

The BMW 7 Series Is Another Rare 2024 Sleeper Sedan

BMW 7 Series Fast Facts

• The potent 760i xDrive packs a 536 horsepower, twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V8
• 0 to 60 can be managed in just 4.1 seconds
• BMW of North America shifted just shy of 11,000 units in 2023

While the S8 is undoubtedly much scarcer, the 7 Series is another great contender for a rare sleeper choice. It's a significantly more popular choice than the S8, with BMW of North America reportedly shifting 10,811 units throughout 2023. In comparison to Audi's 1,487 A8 and S8 models, the 7 Series is a much better performer.

For the ultimate sleeper appeal, shoppers should opt for the 760i xDrive. It boasts all-wheel drive and a twin-turbocharged V8, just like the S8, but with an extra 0.4-liter of capacity to boot. Acceleration is brisk but doesn't quite match the four-ringed sleeper, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. From the V8, drivers can access 536 horsepower, so despite slightly lagging behind the Audi, it's no slouch.

Features within the 760i xDrive include ventilated front seats, a panoramic sky lounge LED roof, and a myriad of connectivity options, all accessible via the huge touchscreens that come as standard. Not all sleeper sedans on the market in 2024 are luxurious, but certainly these most exclusive options are.